The War of the Red Rhoyne
The War of the Red Rhoyne is the name given to a prolonged period of conflict between the Kingdom of the Three Daughters and the Qohor-Norvos Alliance. Ultimately it resulted in territorial gains for the Three Daughters, whom expanded their holdings into Norvoshi land and advanced their borders. Waking the Dragon Following the death of Aurion Targaryen in 267 AC, the general fear of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters had begun to wane. There was talk around the courts of the still-free cities that Aurion's heir, Maekar, was a soft man and a weaker ruler than his father. The new Bloodraven had made no great waves in his father's shadow, and there had been no lavish ceremonies to celebrate his appointment. Many longed for the collapse of the Targaryen Kingdom and saw this as the perfect opportunity to kick a downed beast, though none were willing to be the first to raise their armies and test the new Lord Protector. This awkward stalemate lasted for over a year, until news that a horrific accident had left the Bloodraven maimed began to spread across Essos. Many cities mustered their forces, including: Lys, Volantis, and even the Masters of Slaver's Bay, but it was Magister Jojio Hotah of Norvos whom first dared to enter the Dragon's domain. A commander of great renown, Magister Jojio had formerly served a prolonged period in the Company of the Cat and made his fortune as one of their commanding officers. When he had returned to Norvos, to take an offered position on the Council of Magisters, he had hoped to increase his wealth but time had instead whittled away at it. When the opportunity for such a beneficial war presented itself, Jojio quickly took charge of the matter and stirred up support amongst his countrymen. Within the moon the Noble Houses of Norvos and Qohor had called the banners, and were soon on the march. In early 269 AC, a vast host of Norvoshi and Qohorik men crossed the Norvoshi border with the Kingdom of the Three Daughters. They began by seizing villages and burning outposts wherever they could, before eventually heading toward Myr with a clear intent to besiege the city. Meanwhile, the recovered Bloodraven mustered whatever forces he could in Tyrosh and moved to protect his lands. War The First Magister and his Son As word of the approaching army finally reached the Magisters of Myr, there was a divide in the ranks. Some were all for throwing open the gates and complying with whatever demands the Alliance had for them, but the rest - including First Magister Yraevor Drahar - held the majority and made ready for the upcoming siege. Yraevor put out many contracts for local mercenary companies, with promises of gold and loot if they came to the city's aid. Though perhaps his most important decision was to hire the Guild of the Blue, the company in which his son Tregar Drahar currently served. A veteran of the War of Unification, Yraevor was no fool and made sure to arrange his defence in such a manner as to buy as much time for Maekar Targaryen to come to his aid. After a few days of hasty fortification and contract brokering, the banners of the Qohor-Norvos Alliance finally appeared on the horizon and began to encircle Myr. Perhaps Magister Jojio and his commanders were confident that they could take the city quickly, as they spent little time building defences and instead focused upon siege weaponry. The Siege of Myr After five long days - and five equally long nights - of constant artillery fire, the Alliance began it's first assault. At the dawn of the sixth day, the beleaguered defenders awoke to the battle cries of thousands of sellswords trying to climb the walls and breach the gates. Atop the walls and before the gates, a bloody battle raged all day and on late into night. Neither side was willing to give any quarter until Myrish reinforcements finally cleared the walls at close to midnight. With the walls held, Jorio finally signalled the return back to camp. Myr had repelled the first assault. On the seventh day, inclement weather conditions set in. The defenders knew this would delay the relief forces sailing their way, and prepared to have to hold out for even longer. As the fogs finally began to clear in the morning light, the Myrish forces were greeted by the daunting sight of the Alliance's next attack wave. Thanks to the military skill of Yraevor and his advisers, the city held out another day. Though ammunition was running low for the archers and siege weaponry, and it would likely run out entirely if the assault continued another day. In a cunning move,Tregar Drahar arranged for all the siege weaponry and ammunition to be moved toward the northern side of the city overnight to ensure that it would last the day. Extra men were drafted to the southern half, but Tregar made sure to station the Guild of the Blue in close reserve lest the situation worsen. The eighth day began in a similar fashion to the seventh, the morning fogs retreating to reveal the oncoming forces of the Alliance and draw groans from the city's protectors. Magister Hotah himself led the attack upon the southern wall, seeking to exploit it's vulnerability with his finest troops, and by mid-afternoon it had fallen to the invaders. The northern wall held on but now, with the loss of it's flank, the situation seemed much more bleak. Just when it seemed all hope was lost, Tregar and the Guild of the Blue entered the fray. Rested and invigorated, the mercenaries swept the Norvoshi elite troops off the southern walls and sent them into disarray. At the height of the battle, Tregar duelled Jojio whilst men died in their droves around them. Both were great warriors and, despite wounding each other, neither was able to finish it. In the end Jojio was dragged off the walls by the last of his men, leaving Tregar to lick his wounds and prepare for the next assault. The ninth day signalled the end of the bad weather, and gave the defenders a much needed morale boost. However this spirit was tested when the Alliance threw everything it had at the weakened walls, Jojio knew he had to take the city today or risk the arrival of the forces en-route from Tyrosh. Finally, when even Tregar's heroic efforts seemed to have failed, every man both within the city and without heard the war horns of an arriving force. Having force-marched overnight, the Targaryen army had arrived in time to turn the tide of the battle. At their head, atop a great beast of a horse and cutting a figure more like that of a mountain than a man, was the Bloodraven himself. The Bloodraven Cometh The charge of the Dragon was as terrifying as it was destructive. The Norvoshi and Qohorite men on the flank facing them crumbled under the onslaught, and soon the entire army was rattled. The Bloodraven and his Raven's Teeth cleaved a bloody hole in the ranks of the Alliance, whilst the Onyx Company followed in the wake of their commander to prevent him from being surrounded. Inside the city, the defenders now realised that the tide had changed. Tregar rallied his forces and drove the attackers from the walls for the fourth and final time, throwing down the last ladder himself. Then he mustered what forces he could and led them out of the gates to come to Maekar's aid. With the walls lost again, and a Targaryen army rolling down his flank, Magister Jojio called the retreat. He expected that he would not be pursued for at least a day, whilst both his opponents recovered from the bloody siege, but the Bloodraven had different ideas. For a week, the Targaryen cavalry and light infantry harried the retreating Norvoshi and Qhorian survivors - leaving a bloody trail all the way from Myr to Ny Sar. However, once the Alliance army made it over the Rhoyne, the Dragon's skirmishers finally rested and waited for the rest of their host. The First Battle of Ny Sar The Norvos-Qhorik forces sought shelter within the ruined city, Magister Jojio taking up refuge within the shattered dome of Nymeria's Palace. The troops of the Alliance did their best to fortify the ruins, though they were aware of the Targaryen host forming outside. Maekar, deciding to press his advantage, pushes on and assaults the ruins, instead of constructing siege weapons and barraging the city. The first battle lasted for nearly twelve hours, of constant back-and-forth over the city, but eventually the Targaryen forces were unable to achieve a foothold and the decision was made to pull back. A Dragon's Gambit Fearing another costly assault, the Lord-Protector called a hasty council, to establish a course of action. It was decided that a small group would attempt to infiltrate the city under the cover of nightfall and gather as much information on their opponents. If possible, they would sabotage any defences or traps that were being prepared. Jaehaerys Targaryen, Maekar's cousin, volunteered to lead the twenty men into the abandoned city. Under the cover of darkness, they successfully infiltrated Ny Sar and drew maps of troop locations, weapon stores, traps and pitfalls. Still, they could hear strange, animalistic roars as they traversed through the city, and found three Old Men of the River, gigantic turtles bound and strapped to be used as weapons of war. Realising the opportunity, Jaehaerys and his men set about freeing them. A melee began as they struck down the guards, and before long their presence was revealed. While Jaehaerys grappled with these gargantuan beasts, there were warhorns sounding over the horizon. The Second Battle of Ny Sar The Magnificent Walls of Myr Folly of the Forgelords The Third Battle of Ny Sar In the Dragon's Maw Aftermath Following the death of Magister Jojio, support for the war collapsed on the home front. Enthusiasm had been low following the ill news from Qohor, and the subsequent withdrawal of Qohorik troops to defend their city, but the Magister's death broke what little spirit was left in Norvos. Unwilling to allow the Bloodraven time to prepare for a full scale invasion, the Alliance signed a peace treaty with the Dragon. Uncompromising in his demands, Maekar laid out his terms and then ignored the gathered Magisters' counteroffers and simply waited for them to sign - so sign they did. These terms were: * All the lands claimed by Norvos that lay south of the Rhoyne would be ceded to the Three Daughters. * Gold enough and more would be paid not only to House Targaryen, but to the Houses of Myr too so that rebuilding could begin quickly. * The Master Forgelords of Qohor would offer no claim to the Valyrian Steel Blade taken in the raid on the Steel Hold. * The Alliance would not commit hostile acts against the Three Daughters, or attempt to renegade on the debts owed. * An eight year truce, in which time the military forces of both Qohor and Norvos would be limited to little more than enough to guard their respective cities. The fate of Jojio Hotah served well to remind the Free Cities that House Targaryen was here to stay, and the vague threats from other surrounding factions died down as the Dragon proudly displayed the spoils of victory. No man in their right mind would go on to call Maekar the Monstrous a weak ruler, and those few Norvoshi that survived the final battle of Ny Sar will likely never forget it. Category:Wars and Battles Category:Essos